A 77-year-old man, Stephen A. Keith Jr., has died after being shot while driving on Parkway East in Birmingham on December 30, 2023. Initially believed to be caught in crossfire, it was later determined he was targeted. A 25-year-old suspect is in custody, and the incident is connected to another non-fatal shooting the same day. This marks Birmingham's 135th homicide of the year. Police are seeking additional information from the public.
In Birmingham, a suspect has been arrested after two separate shootings on December 30, 2023, which left an elderly man critically injured from a gunshot while driving on Parkway East and another driver seriously injured after a crash. The elderly man was initially thought to be caught in crossfire but was later believed to be targeted. The second victim was shot in a different location and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was apprehended in Tom Bradford Park and is believed to have targeted both victims, though the motive is still unknown.
A Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank town of Aqaba. The raid, aimed at arresting a wanted Palestinian, resulted in the destruction of a building and violent confrontations between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian residents. The Israeli forces prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded, and one ambulance was targeted by live ammunition. The Israeli army claimed that a firefight broke out and a hit was identified on one of the armed fighters. This incident adds to the escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, with over 200 Palestinians killed by Israel this year, making it the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2006 according to the United Nations.
An off-duty Cook County Sheriff's officer was critically wounded after being caught in the crossfire of two vehicles exchanging gunfire near Midway Airport in Chicago. The officer, who was not the intended target, was hit by stray bullets while in traffic. One suspect is in custody, while another vehicle involved in the shooting managed to escape. The officer is in critical condition and undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
Ayairia Anderson, a pregnant 21-year-old woman, was killed in Jackson, Mississippi, after being caught in crossfire and shot in the head and leg. She was rushed to the hospital, where an emergency C-section was performed, but both Anderson and her unborn baby died. The incident has been ruled a homicide, and the Jackson Police Department is asking for anyone with information to come forward.
An 18-year-old teen was critically injured after being caught in the crossfire of a shooting between a robbery suspect and victim in Wichita, Kansas. The teen was shot in the back and rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery and is now in stable condition. Police believe the teen was shot accidentally and the investigation is ongoing.
A 7-year-old girl was shot in the stomach outside an Avondale apartment complex in Cincinnati. The child was rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital with unknown injuries. Police say the child may have been caught in the crossfire of people shooting at each other.
A 16-year-old girl was critically wounded after being shot in the head while sitting in a car in Queens, likely caught in gunfire between two groups who were shooting at each other. The victim was rushed to Jamaica Hospital and is brain dead. Officials say the shooter is still on the run and an investigation is ongoing. The incident happened outside P.S. 015 Jackie Robinson, and the victim appears to have been an innocent bystander.
Sudanese actress Asia Abdelmajid was killed by a stray bullet during crossfire in Khartoum amid ongoing violence between the country's military and paramilitary force. The violence has killed hundreds and displaced thousands since April, following a coup that toppled a civilian government. UN officials have warned of a "full-blown catastrophe" if the fighting does not end, and Saudi Arabia has been suggested as a potential venue for truce talks.
